SliceTruck Restaurant Now Open in Little Osaka

Running a food truck is somewhat like running a test kitchen. Based on popularity, the truck either dies off or becomes a trendy brick-and-mortar restaurant. Luckily for SliceTruck, which rolled out in 2009, it now has a sit-down restaurant on Sawtelle. "We looked at this space early on and weren't sure if we'd be rejected by the neighborhood due to the fact that it was Little Osaka and we might be eroding the culture of the area by coming in," said owner Dave Hanley.

The location was appealing to the owner because there's good foot traffic and a "real neighborhood feel," and it's less obvious than being on a major street such as Wilshire or Santa Monica Boulevard. The restaurant, which replaced a long-standing boba tea shop, is open Monday-Saturday from 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. and will be closed on Sundays (probably until football season starts). PR reps have announced that the pizza joint will now be making all of its pies with KAMUT brand khorasan wheat crusts.

The inspiration was to have a little pizza shop, explained Hanley; however, a truck came first, and it gave him the chance to learn valuable industry lessons without a huge commitment. "But ultimately, the little, local independent pizza place is what we really wanted to create. Something that the neighborhood people feel proud of and lets them honestly argue with other people that they have the 'best' pizza place in their neighborhood."

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